Wellampitiya terror factory: Police to question ex-sleuth
Did a onetime intelligence operative, forced to leave the service due to allegations of corruption, bring pressure on the Wellampitiya Police to “play down” investigations into the nine suspects linked to the pro- IS terror group’s bombings in Sri Lanka?
The Police Special Investigations Unit ( SIU), now probing the background to why the Police did not object to bail for the suspects, is to question him in this regard.
The nine suspects are employees of a copper factory in Wellampitiya. The owner is one of the suicide bombers who died during attacks on churches and hotels.
It has come to light that the former sleuth has been an advisor to a Cabinet Minister who is at the centre of a serious controversy for allegedly supporting the pro-IS Muslim extremist group in Sri Lanka. There is already pressure on President Maithripala Sirisena to remove the minister concerned and initiate an inquiry.
The Minister had allegedly used his ‘ good offices’ to appoint the former sleuth to different Muslim bodies. He is alleged to have made regular trips from Colombo to various locations in the East.
The former sleuth had been a member of a chat group on WhatsApp. After leaked reports of Intelligence warnings appeared on the site, he had posted his own comments to say the claims were fake.
The copper factory from where material for bomb- making circuitry was obtained remains sealed. The Minister concerned had allegedly granted them exclusive rights to export copper.